"YOU ARE EVIL!"

Astrid stood at the entrance of the Hufflepuff common room. Kelsey and a few others looked up at her. Her blonde curls stuck to her face, from sweat it looked. Had she run all the way here from the library?

"I can't believe you threw me to the wolves like that!"

It was unfortunate that neither of them knew the truth behind that metaphor.

Kelsey closed her book shut and calmly turned to face her best friend. "What do you mean?"

"I asked him if he liked being called Daddy !" she shrieked hysterically earning some scared looks from students around her.

A smile made itself to Kelsey's face and soon she too was doubled over in laughter at the unfortunate expense of her best friend.

Astrid looked mortified. After Remus had all but run away from her, Lily had kindly dragged her into an empty classroom and explained the dubious meaning behind it. She had never wanted to commit murder until that moment.

"I told you to call him Daddy, not to ask him his thoughts on it! You ruined it!" Kelsey clutched her stomach and calmed down.

"Can you imagine how much worse that would have been? You lied!"

"I was trying to help you! You like him, don't you?"

"Why would you do that?"

"It's the silent and mysterious ones that are always the kinkiest. It was a calculated risk," Kelsey explained easily as if she had thought this through.

"I hate you!"

"You won't find a more loyal friend than me," she scoffed.

"You know what Kelsey? Screw that. And screw this- Argh! This Hufflepuff doesn't give a Hufflefuck.." collective gasps went around the room. "..about you anymore!"

Astrid stormed off to their dorm angrily. Kelsey's smile faltered as she watched her friend disappear up the stairs.

"Bugger," she curse.

ϟ

"Kelpie! Kelpie! Yoohoo!"

Kelsey didn't stop. She walked out of the Great Hall upset.

"Oi, Jones!"

She let out an annoyed shriek, "WHAT, BLACK?"

He stopped a few feet away from her and looked at her eyes wide, a little wary.

"Where's Astrid?" He approached her carefully. Clearly, she was in a mood.

Without being too obvious, he quickly peeked at her bag that was open. Perfect. He could see a thin book sitting a little close to the outside. He just needed to get close to her.

"I don't know and I don't care!" she huffed turning away.

The truth is she did know. Astrid was currently sitting with Mary at the Gryffindor table, ignoring her through lunch. The more Kelsey was ignored, the guiltier she felt. She needed to make things right. But she hadn't figured out how.

"I hope she isn't off finding a new Daddy," he mocked. In an instant, Kelsey had her wand under his chin. Her 5'5 frame had him pushed against the wall.

"Only I can tease her," Kelsey gritted.

"Although, looks like she's not the only kinky one," Sirius said hoarsely as the tip of her wand jabbed his chin.

"What do you want?" She let him go.

She started walking and Sirius followed.

"Word around town is..and by word I mean Evans. You put the little idea in your friend's pretty little blonde head.." he trailed off.

Kelsey gulped. Sirius watched her gulp quietly, sadness in her eyes, a few tears threatening to fall.

Near one of the clock tower courtyards, she sat down against the pillar. He followed suit.

"You with your Daddy fetish. Apparently, me with my Mummy. We make quite the pair Jones," he joked trying to lighten it up.

"Indeed we do," she chuckled. She brought an arm up and used her robes to dab the corner of her eye.

Sirius leaned back as she stared ahead wistfully. He reached an arm behind her, trying to pluck the comic book out before she could notice.

"I messed up," she said softly.

"So it seems," he leaned over slightly to pat her. Lost in thought she didn't think twice about this weird move. Slowly and carefully he grabbed it and brought his hand back into his robes, shoving the comic flat against himself. Good thing it wasn't bulky.

If it makes you feel any better.." he started saying but stopped, wondering how to tell her that."..last year, Moony- I mean Remus and I had the worst falling out. And what I did was much worse than this." He was tactful in how he put it. "It wasn't my best moment."

He wasn't about to shout 'I almost had Moony kill Snivellus' at the top of his lungs.

"Yeah, I remember, I think. I always meant to ask- what could you have done that was so bad?"

"Wouldn't you like to know Jones?" he grinned. "This bad boy is full of surprises," he pointed to himself.

He saw her face light up and she snorted doubling over in laughter. His heart thumped against his chest loudly and for a moment he thought something was wrong with him. He was too young to have a heart attack. Too fit. He still had too many birds to snog. He hadn't even reached his full potential yet.

However, he realised, watching her grin with genuine cheeriness gave him an ego boost unlike any other before. Knowing that just ten minutes ago, she had been sulking over Astrid.

Sure he had a line of girls waiting to snog him. He was certain that he could stroll down the corridor that moment and pick a fifth-year and up, and she would 90% snog him. However, something about watching Jones giggle had him returning the same shit-eating grin. Between laughs, her blue eyes met his stormy grey ones and he saw something like surprise flicker in them.

She does NOT have nice eyes! Sirius insisted to himself.

Feeling off, he got up in haste, almost letting his painstakingly acquired prize fall.

Kelsey had been surprised. In her despair, it seemed that Sirius Black had made her feel a bit better. So when he ran off, she stared at his retreating form confused.

Weird dude, she shrugged a few moments later.

ϟ

"Remus!" Kelsey skipped along the corridor.

Remus Lupin turned to see Kelsey hopping over to him. He picked up the pace. Well, as much as he could.

"Remus! Stop!"

Maybe he could pretend he didn't hear her.

"Lupin!" She caught up to him and grabbed his sleeve. He turned.

"The fu-" Kelsey took in his appearance. There were bags under his eyes and looked as if he hadn't slept in a while. This wasn't the first time she had seen him looking like this. Astrid and Lily told her that he was a little on the sicker side, so she never asked much about it in the last six years. But seeing him up close like this, she wondered if Astrid or Lily knew what was really up with him.

"What happened to you?" she demanded.

The boy sighed. "It's nothing," he said avoiding eye contact.

"Is that.." Kelsey reached out a hand and he flinched. "Is that dried blood?" Her finger wiped a small spot under his chin.

"I was on my way to see Madame Pomfrey," he explained.

"Great then I'll accompany you," she started walking next to him.

"You don't have to. I'm fine."

Kelsey rolled her eyes. "It's not for you. It's for Astrid. She'd probably kill me if she found out I let you walk away looking so tired and injured all by your lonesome." At Astrid's name, Remus stiffened a bit. "Where's your posse anyway?"

"My what?"

"Your posse? You know, the 'tools who fool'? The boy band? Your motley crew," She managed to draw a low throaty laugh from him.

"Kitchens," he mumbled. It was the truth. James and Peter were currently coaxing a house-elf into making a hot chocolate for him. Sirius was supposedly off snogging some sixth year in the Astronomy tower. Something about feeling off and needing to get back into the bad boy ways, Padfoot had said.

"Some friends." She pursed her lips. "Bringing me to my point," she stopped in her tracks.

"Please don't be mad at Astrid," Kelsey pleaded. Remus could see that she was really upset about it. "I'm the one who tricked her-"

"I figured," Remus sighed. He wasn't angry or upset with Astrid.

"She's really innocent. I mean so sooo innocent," Kelsey said dramatically.

"Figured that too," he chuckled softly. He wasn't upset with Astrid. He was upset about his reaction. The way she had looked at him asking that question, asking him that so innocently, had awoken something in him. Something he thought would be best if forgotten. He couldn't involve Astrid in his Lycanthropy.

"Although not anymore though I bet, given Lily's sex talk," Kelsey continued rambling.

Another laugh. Remus had to admit Astrid was one of his closest friends though. And he did not want to cut her off. He had his moments of selfishness.

Kelsey was on a roll. She fist-bumped the air cheering his response. She knew they would be back to talking. Her back-up plan had been to threaten him within an inch of his life. Now she only had to figure out how to apologise to Astrid without making a fool of herself.

They approached the Hospital Wing entrance.

"Oi you two!"

They saw Sirius Black waiting outside the Hospital Wing for Remus.

What Sirius Black saw was Kelpie Jones, sworn enemy of the Marauders (although James, Remus and Peter would insist, it's more of a 'sworn enemy of Sirius Black' situation) sharing stolen smiles as if they had a secret.

He saw the same twinkle in her eye as they came closer.

As if to reiterate his presence he coughed loudly. One that would almost shame Dolores Umbridge in the future. But he didn't know that. He didn't even know who the old coot was yet.

She kept an eye on Sirius through her peripheral vision. His hair was disheveled and tie loosened up. She reckoned he had just come back from a snog.

"Typical," she scowled.

Ignoring him, she decided that she had done her part ensuring safe passage for the boy.

"Bye Lupin!" she teased with a wink and strutted off. Sirius Black felt a pit in the bottom of his stomach.

"What was that about?" he eyed Remus suspiciously.

"Astrid," he scratched the back looking sheepish.

'Didn't sound like Astrid business to me' he heard Sirius complain.

With a tired smile, Remus pushed the door open.

ϟ